With very rough tests it looks like my VC might be somewhere between 6-7.3L
. I have not checked for a long time, however I think packing influences your lung volume a significant amount. I have not been doing pack stretches for a long time, so I am probably at the lower end at this point. My height is 6'1" and weight fluxuates regularly between 160-170lbs.
To be blunt I think it is the worst thing to wonder/believe that somebody has a genetic advantage. I have no clue of whether I have such a thing. If a large percentage of us could check this, then it would not be so bad because we would all know the truth and work from that. However, not having this ability to determine whether we have a genetic advantage means that speculating on whether somebody does or does not is completely meaningless. More importantly it is a strongly negative influence on beginners and all those who are not achieving the current highest results. That does not mean that everybody else won't keep trying but it does mean that some percentage will be influenced to what degree they believe in their ability and to what degree they put effort/exploration into the activity. This may all be for naught, since there may not be a gene, or genes, in the first place. So until it is for sure, I think there is no point in assuming so.
So why not just assume we are all on an equal playing field and be insistent with ourselves to explore everything we can imagine. After all as Eric has suggested and others, we are babies at this in comparison to Yogis. Our current bests are probably nothing, compared to our potential.
I find the reality of the situation is that it doesn't matter what activity/hobby/art one performs, most individuals want to claim those who excel were born to do it, were geniuses, have a gift, have genetics, etc... But I think this is farthest from the truth. I think that is the lazy persons way of finding a lie to believe in, so they can stay lazy. Lazy being the human's natural tendency (and most animals) to not do more than necessary if it does not bring great fruits easily. I have been hearing this all my life and watched people who could have done anything, do nothing. Meanwhile they always think I am nuts because I do SO many things.
The other funny thing is, let's say, the people who have the best results currently, do have a genetic advantage... what does that mean for those who do not have the best results? Are they the ones without the genetics? How would we know? At some point the person with genetics would have not had the best as well? Maybe we should be asking if the people with current bests have also had slumps! Have they had struggles? Have there been times when they doubted their ability to proceed? Have there been walls? Has their been fear? Etc.... I speculate then, we would see how similar and likely it is that we are all on a fairly even playing ground here.
So to conclude I know that maybe the genetics thing was brought up out of its own exploration, but I have seen it coming up often lately and I have felt this warning growing in me. The people who want to believe, "those at the top have genetic advantages", will do so anyhow, so be it, but lets not encourage those that would not think of that to believe it as well. There is no answer to that for now, so I personally think we should just let it go, due to its negative impact.
Cheers,
Tyler
